The Body Electric tells the fascinating story of our bioelectric selves. Robert O. Becker, a pioneer in the filed of regeneration and its relationship to electrical currents in living things, challenges the established mechanistic understanding of the body. He found clues to the healing process in the long-discarded theory that electricity is vital to life. But as exciting as Becker’s discoveries are, pointing to the day when human limbs, spinal cords, and organs may be regenerated after they have been damaged, equally fascinating is the story of Becker’s struggle to do such original work. The Body Electric explores new pathways in our understanding of evolution, acupuncture, psychic phenomena, and healing.

More and more homeowners today want houses that are healthy to live in and cause minimal damage to the environment. That’s what green building is all about.

Your Green Home is written for homeowners planning a new home—whether you are working with an architect or builder, or serving as your own general contractor. Intended to improve the overall environmental performance of new houses being built, the book sets out to answer some of the big-picture questions relating to having a home designed and built—and getting what you want.

Written by the founder of BuildingGreen—North America’s premier green building authority—this book will prove useful not only to future homeowners, but also to designers and builders seeking to meet this demand. Building professionals well-versed in green building may find this a useful book to give to potential clients to convey the scope and principles of green building.

Alex Wilson is president of BuildingGreen, Inc. and executive editor of Environmental Building News, the oldest and most respected publication serving North America’s green building industry. A green building expert since the 1970s, he has authored countless articles on the topic and several books, including Green Building Products, the Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, and Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate.

Pure untouched and stylish, this is the blueprint for natural decorating. Natural Interiors explores the ever-increasing range of natural products and methods — from the raw materials to how they are integrated into your home, without losing comfort, efficiency or functionality. It explains the advantages of ecofriendly options over the mass produced, the artificial and the processed, and delights in their unique and nurturing qualities.

Natural materials are not only visually appealing, they can also contribute to our physical and emotional well-being. Not only are they less damaging to the environment as a whole, natural materials can counter the pollutants and irritants in our home — good for our health and good for our souls.

Natural Interiors looks at the elements of nature that we can bring into our homes — earth, water, fire, air, space, color and light. It then discusses raw materials, such as wood and stone, and how to choose walls, floors, furniture and lighting. It concludes with a section on room design.

The ideas in Natural Interiors is abundantly illustrated with 180 color photographs. By creating natural and inviting spaces, Natural Interiors evokes a style of living that is gentle, aesthetic and balanced.

Order From:Environmental Health Coalition
Attn: Publications
1717 Kettner Blvd., Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92101
FAX: (619) 232-3670
(links will open in a new window)
Urban low-income communities of color often endure a disproportionate share of the health and economic burdens created by toxic chemicals. The Toxic Free Neighborhoods Community Planning Guide provides an opportunity to reverse this trend and create healthier neighborhoods through citizen participation, effective public policy advocacy, well-directed public education efforts, and pollution prevention approaches. Grassroots and environmental justice groups along with elected officials, academic institutions, city planning and zoning departments will find this guide vital to effective environmental planning and redevelopment in urban areas.

The only book written for homeowners and consumers to help you understand how heating, air conditioning, and duct systems work together as a home comfort system. Whether you are looking to purchase a new heating and air conditioning system or just looking to solve some ongoing problems your contractor keeps saying is “normal” operation, this book will bring to youan understanding of heating, air conditioning, and home comfort systems and how they work together so you will be better prepared to make the right decisions when it comes to making your home or business as comfortable and energy efficient as you want it to be.

Learn how you can:

Save Money and Save Energy with your new or existing heating, air conditioning, and home comfort system

Make the right choices

Choose the right system to fit your needs

Make your home more comfortable

Choose the right contractor

And,

Know what to look for when purchasing a furnace, air conditioner, or home comfort system.

For questions or comments the author may be contacted at comfortbook@jpgorman.com

How you put your house together is just as important as the materials you choose. Healthy House Building takes you step-by-step through the construction of a Model Healthy House. With over 200 photos and illustrations, as well as a complete set of detailed construction drawings, Healthy House Building shows you everything you need to know to build a healthy house. While your house probably won’t look like the one in this book, the important how-to information necessary to build or remodel in a healthy manner can be applied to all houses. This second edition contains updated addresses for the suppliers of materials used in the Model Healthy House

Healthy House Building is a heavily illustrated book that walks the reader through every phase of construction. In building the Model Healthy House, Bower promotes a concept he calls “Eliminate, Separate, Ventilate”… Bower recognizes that economic realities often necessitate tradeoffs, and he suggests where compromises can be made with the least impact on the environment… Full of useful information. — Fine Homebuilding, August/September 1994

From the Publisher

Of course, having comprehensive text on healthy housing is important. But Healthy House Building (Second Edition) by John Bower takes this information further–by actually showing readers how to build a healthy house from the ground up. Want to see how to lay a ceramic tile floor using a self-made, no-additive grout; how to install a metal roof; or how the air-tight drywall approach should be done? These and all the other steps required to build a “model healthy house” are explained in text–but also with over 250 photographs, and 25 pages of detailed house plans. This is the type of information you’ll be able to apply to your next building or remodeling project.

Is your house painted w/potentially irritating chemicals? are your heating and ventilation systems working for or against you? ‘Healthy by Design’ can show you how to make your home a toxin-free sanctuary…learn about the hidden risks posed by modern materials and construction techniques…how to test for pollutants …where to build…how to design the healthiest possible home that is also energy and resource efficient… Included are 79 healthy bldg solutions… comprehensive guide for the owner, designer and builder… 9 detailed case studies of new and remodeled homes…

04/21/98:
Reviewer comment Prescriptions for a Healthy House is distinguished in two respects. The material is laid out following the 16 point Master Format of construction specifications so that targeting specific topics of interest is easy. The second is that the authors’ approach the subject based on the precepts of baubiology.

‘[T]here is much interesting material here, including the many references to case studies from personal involvement illustrating a point they are making. Some refer to construction issues, others to examples of problems people encounter with pollutants in their environment’

The most valuable contribution [the authors] make is suggesting text that can be added to specifications to deal with the key issues related to each aspect of work. Product sources are also identified.–SOLPLAN REVIEW, March 1998.

The author, Paula Baker E-Mail: pbaker@trail.com , 01/20/98:
Its not that complicated! The book is designed to make healthy home building easy. We walk homeowner, architect and builder step-by-step through the construction process. We explain why certain standard building practices are detrimental to your health, what to do instead and where to obtain products and expertise. We welcome your comments, experiences with using the book and knowledge so that we can best serve those who come to us for help.

04/07/98:
Review comments Many good books have been written on healthy building, but until now there has not been a nitty-gritty reference manual that covers everything from theory to specification language in a way that can be applied to any construction type. Prescriptions for a Healthy House is introductory enough to be used by someone new to the field, yet detailed and practical enough to be a valuable referenced for the more experienced.

The best thing about this book is that it is laid out to be USED. The graphic design allows for easy perusal to find the charts, case studies, specification language, resources, details, or supporting text. In fact, I made use of Prescriptions the first day I got it: a client called with a question, and I went straight to the relevant page and read her a concise list of practical suggestions. I was relieved not to have to comb my mental or physical database!

The backgrounds of the authors–experienced architect, M.D., and healthy building consultant–combine to give the book a breadth and depth rarely found in one place. More than an admonition to go nontoxic or a list of materials, the book includes practical strategies and procedures, clearly gained from experience, to ensure that the finished home is a haven, not a nightmare. The case studies bring home the authors’ points. When you read that a cleanup product caused a nearly finished house to be uninhabitable, you know WHY you need to specify everything that is used on the site. In fact, it makes me want to specify that every contractor read this book! –Carol Venolia, publisher of Building with Nature newsletter and author of Healing Environments

I will definitely recommend this book to my patients. –William Shrader, M.D., Allergist, specialist in environmental medicine, Santa Fe, NM

04/07/98:
Contents This book takes the mystery out of healthy house building by walking the owner/architect/builder team through the construction process. It explains where and why standard building practices are not healthful, what to do differently, and how to obtain alternative materials and expertise. Provides information on how to design interior and exterior space, and select construction materials that enhance and promote physical well-being.

The Authors
Paula Baker is an architect intimately familiar with the materials and methods of standard construction. As a baubiologist, she also knows where these practices are in conflict with human health and available alternatives. Erica Elliott is a physician trained in both family practice and environmental medicine. She has extensive clinical experience in the medical consequences of standard construction. John Banta has over a decade of experience in troubleshooting indoor environmental problems. His expertise covers many aspects of indoor air quality, including the detection and reduction of electromagnetic fields and the recognition and abatement of mold problems.

Synopsis:
Carcinogens and toxic fumes don’t just pollute the environment, they hit us where we live. While you can’t always see, smell, or taste these insidious health hazards, you can successfully combat them. This book provides a comprehensive look at the invisible killers in almost every home–and an essential guide to disposing of them.

Booknews, Inc. , 02/01/93:
Provides current information on lead, radon, asbestos, carbon monoxide, pesticides, and potentially toxic household products; alerts readers to the many symptoms of a sick house; and provides a directory of federal and local experts and agencies that can help. An excellent household reference and safety guide. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

The author, Maury M. Breecher , 11/26/96:
Your home may be terribly hazardous to your health. My thanks to individuals who have purchased this book and given me feedback about how it has helped them improve and enhance their health and the health of their families. I’ve accomplished what I set out to do: help people. This book can perhaps help you too. Although published in 1992 it remains up-to-date since the issues this book addresses–pesticide use, toxic household products, contaminated air and water, dangerous noise levels etc.–keep reappearing on the front pages of our nation’s newspapers. Do you want to build a new, or buy an already built, healthy house? This book tells you how. It identifies problems that make houses–and the people residing within–sick, and tells what to do about those problems. Extensively researched and documented. Based on interviews with experts and documents from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registery, Centers for Disease Control, Consumer Product Safety Commission, EPA, U.S. Dept. of Energy, and HUD. Provides information on lead, radon, asbestos, carbon monoxide and other indoor air pollution problems. Identifies commonly used toxic household products and dangerous household pesticides. Gives easy-to-understand and implement techniques to reduce risks and insure health. Be informed. May your home always be happy and healthy. Maury M. Breecher, M.P.H., Ph.D. (Master’s Degree in Public Health and doctorate in Mass Communication).

Table of Contents
Ch. 1. Warning: Your Home May Be Hazardous to Your Health
The Culprits
A Major Worldwide Health Problem
The Sick Building Syndrome Moves Home
A Sick House Can Be Cured
The Safe-at-Home Health Inventory
Ch. 2. Radon Gas: A Deadly Threat to Millions
Radon Can Be Deadly
Radon and Where It Comes From
How to Test for Radon in Your Home
When to Take Action
Simple Solutions
Four Permanent and Cost-Effective Radon Solutions
Finding and Hiring a Professional
Quick Summary
Ch. 3. Indoor Air Pollution: The Enemy Within
Indoor Air Pollutants Can Harm Your Health
How to Find Air Pollution in Your Home
Environmental Tobacco Smoke Pollution
Dangers of Hazardous Combustion Product Pollution
The Ubiquitous Problem of Formaldehyde Pollution
Biological Contaminants
Quick Summary
Ch. 4. Revitalizing Indoor Air: Ventilation and Air Cleaning
Ventilation Ins and Outs
Evaluating Air Movement within Your Home
Improving Your Home’s Ventilation
The Heat Recovery Ventilator Advantage
Advice for Whatever You Choose
Combatting Indoor Air Pollution with Air-Cleaning Devices
Looking at What the Future May Bring
Quick Summary
Ch. 5. Asbestos: A Hidden Killer in Your Home?
Health Dangers of Asbestos
Identifying Materials That Contain Asbestos
Help from Asbestos Professionals
Corrective Action
Quick Summary
Ch. 6. Things You Breathe, Eat, and Touch: How to Allergy-Proof Your House
Symptoms
Tracking Down the Clues
If You Are Allergic to Pollen
Dust Allergy
Mold Allergy
Your Pet May Be the Source of Your Problem
You May Be Allergic to a Food
You May Be Allergic to a Medicine
You May Be Allergic to Things You Touch
Rules for Allergy-Proofing Your Home
Things to Consider if You Are Remodeling or Building a Home
Quick Summary
Ch. 7. Pesticides and Lawn Care Chemicals: Long-Term Health Dangers
Chlordane May Still Pose a Risk
Other Pestiddes That May Pose a Risk
Five Home Pesticides That Concern Americans the Most
Personal Bug Repellents May Cause Adverse Health Effects
Keeping Insects and Other Pests Away from Your Home
If You Must Use Chemical Pesticides, Do It Safely
How to Choose a Pest Control Company
Storing and Disposing Pesticides Safely
Quick Summary
Ch. 8. Risky Waters: Is Your Water Safe?
Are You Getting Sick Because of Contaminated Water?
Is Your Tap Water Safe? Here’s How to Find Out
Serious Health Threat to Your Family: Lead-Contaminated Water
Protect against Chloroform
Well Water Pollution
Devices to Clean Your Water
Is Bottled Water Better?
The Safe Drinking Water Act’s Failed Promise
Quick Summary
Ch. 9. Perilous Paint: The Hidden Hazard Posed by Paint
Mercury Pollution
Lead Pollution
Another Danger from Indoor Exposure to Paint – Bis(Tributyltin) Oxide
Quick Summary
Ch. 10. Toxic Threats: Potentially Dangerous Products and Hazardous Wastes in the Home
Defining Poisonous, Toxic, and Hazardous
The Air You Breathe May Be Hazardous to Your Health
Health Dangers of Volatile Organic Chemicals
How to Protect Your Family from Household Chemicals
How to Choose Nontoxic, Environmentally Safe Home Products
Disposal of Hazardous Wastes from the Home
Quick Summary
Ch. 11. Electromagnetism: Should We Be Worried?
Electromagnenc Fields Defined
Possible Dangers from EM Radiation
Microwave Radiation
How to Protect Your Family
Points to Remember When Considering a Move
Quick Summary
Ch. 12. Hazardous Noise: Sound Advice
Health Effects of Excessive Noise Levels
Our Homes Are No Longer a Haven from Noise
How to Protect Your Family
Quick Summary
Ch. 13. An Ounce of Prevention: Healthy Cocooning
Factors to Consider When Building a New Home
Buying an Older Home
Maintaining Your Home for Health and Safety
Room-by-Room Health and Safety Tips
The Trend toward Cocooning
Appendix: Resource Directories
Directory A: State Contacts for Healthy Home Issues
Directory B: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Office Indoor Air, Radon, and Asbestos Contacts
Directory C: National Hotlines and Clearing Houses
Directory D: Resource List of Private Sector and Nonprofit Organizations
Index